Vegetable-peeling apparatus.



No. 854,258. PATENTED MAY 21.1907.

w. L. WEBER.

VEGETABLE FEELING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

VEGETABLE-FEELING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

l Application filed August 17,1906. Serial No. 330,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WEBER, 0 Boston, in the countyof Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable-Peeling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to vegetable peeling apparatus. v 1 I In particular, it relates to apparatus for decorticating and at thesame time cleaning in quantity potatoes or othervegetables.

It is the object of the invention toprovide improvements in such mechanism, particularly with reference to obtaining a more rapid and at the same time gentle action upon the surface of they vegetables to remove the skin,

and also to increase the capacity and improve the operation of machines of any given size, and in eneral to provide apparatus having the ot er peculiar advantages of the invention hereinafter described In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 shows one form of the apparatus'in perspective; 2 shows the same in'longitudinal sectional elevation; Fig. 3 shows one form of roughened surface for the interior of the cylinderwall; andFi .4showsasection through the cylinder wall 'splayed in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings: 1 .is a'tank or trough suitable for holding water, which may enter through the supply pipe 2, and which when ordinarily in operation will maintain the level indicated at'3 in Fig. 2, flowing off through pipe 4. .The tank may be drained through pipe 5 at will. The ends 6 of the tank contain journals 7', 7 for axles 8, on

which the rotating receptacle 9 is mounted.

The latter may convenientl be made fast by .keys 10, and may be. turned by a crank 11 or such other device as desired. 1 Each axle 8 also carries an eccentric framework or spider 12, 13, the spider 12 being set in aposition 180 degrees distant from the position of. the spider 13 with respect to the axis of rotation. The two are connected by metal sheeting 14 arran ed in cylindrical form, as clearl shown in igs. 1 and 2, the axis of the cylin er being oblique to the axis of rotation. I The result is that when the crank is rotated the cylindrical receptacle rotates and alternately assumes the position'inclined downward to the left, as shown, and a s metrical positioninciined downward. to t e.right, passing throu h all intermediate positions during its revo ution of 180 degrees from one to the other position.

Two doors 15, 16 are provided in the end wall at one end of the tank, by which vegetables may be inserted and removed. By turning thereceptacle to a position with itsend 13 upward, a position 180 degrees removed from that illustrated in the drawing, and. by sliding-door 15 upward, the receptacle may be readily filled with vegetables with the aid of the hopper 17. By stopping the rotation at the position shown in Fig.2, and draining the water to a proper level, door 16 may be opened, swinging outward about hinge 18, whereupon the entire contents of the receptacle will easily roll out and be discharged by the spout 19. When closed, the door 16 is locked by a bolt 20, having an oblique or cam shaped surface 21, by which the door may be closed as tightly as desired to prevent escape -of water: 7

Water is introduced through supply pipe 2, pvhich may be arranged at'any place desired.

t is, ever,- that this water can be introduced in the form of an axial jet, and it is preferred to so arrange the apparatus, the jet then having free and unobstructed play with any force desired upon the surface of "the mass. .When thus constructed one ofthe axles 8 is hollow and a nozzle 24 is fixed within the axle, taking water from the su ply pipe and one advantage of the invention, howdischarging it within the cylin er, as shown. The water may be maintained at-any desired level, but it is found best to have the same some distance above the-lowest level attained by the receptacle, sothat each end shall alternately be in the water and out of it, and

the. water will give some buoyancy to' the mass of potatoes. l

The cylindrical walls of the rece tacle may have such surface as is suitable or decortieating or removing the skin from the potatoes or other vegetables; A quick acting surface is illustrated. in Figs. 3 and 4.- and is formed by punching holes 22 through a sheet metal plate with a dull instrument, leaving rough edges 23 projecting inward. This makes a grating surface. .Imcases where the 1 skin is loosely attached, or the vegetablesare in suitable condition theirabrasive actionupon one another may be sufficient to re-- move the skin, and in such cases the recep-.

tacle walls may be smooth. The stationary end walls of the tank may also be roughened if desired.

i The omission of end walls continuous with the body of the rotating receptacle .both reupmost o cleans the vegetables.

duces the cost, simplifies the process Of manufacture, and increases the decorticatwill gradually roll y force of gravity in ahelical path toward the corner which is now posite the present position of the mass, an will then return by another helical path to their present position. A single rotationof the drum causesthem to traverse a long path with a gentle slope, the apparatus being in this respect an improvement over those in which vegetables are rotated in a cylinder set directly on its own axis. The vegetables turn over and over while traveling this path, rubbing against each other and against the roughened walls of the receptacle. The water assists in stopping the impact of the potatoes at the end, by itsbuoyant effect adds to the agitation, and facilitates the turning and at the same time washes away the loosened bits'of skin, and An interaction also takes place between the vegetables and the stationary end walls of the trough. When the upper units in the mass illustrated in Fig. 2 begin to roll away, as the receptacle rises in its path from the low position there pictured, the under units near the stationary end wall are at the same time subjected to friction against that wall primarily, and secondarily againsteach other. Consequently,

substantially all parts of the mass are subject to decorticating at the same time; and

this is great in amount per revolution, owing to the long helical ,path of eachunit.

I claim:

at its-ends by walls perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

- 1. A cylindrical receptacle having decortieating surfaced walls and means to rotate it 3. In a paratus of the class described, a

cylindrica receptacle having open ends and a freespace for contents, and having decortieating surfaced walls, and means to rotate the receptacle about an axis oblique to its own axis, in combination with stationary walls set perpendicular to the axis of rotation, closing said open ends and exposed to abrasive contact with the contents of the receptacle. I

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. WEBER. Witnesses:

N. L. MOKAY, EVERETT E. KENT. 

